


Finding Courage

by Star_tDash



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Kissing, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 21:30:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15804951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_tDash/pseuds/Star_tDash
Summary: Two romantic disasters do their best to finally ease the tension between themselves, with some much needed help from friends.





	Finding Courage

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for my good friend bearsketches (twt/Tumblr)! Check out their art; they're awesome!

Being someone of such high astute brought with it the need to bring about a sense of “having it together”; no matter the situation, there would almost always be an air of confidence about you. To Mari, this was true. In her mind, there wasn’t anything that she couldn’t handle. Well, except for love. For having this much passion came at a cost; when she fell for someone, she fell _hard and fast_ . And Yō _was_ no exception.

* * *

 

“Mari, that’s the fourth time you’ve fallen… I-Is everything ok?”

 

“Haha, you know me Dia, one crazy _ragazza_!” Mari exclaimed, rubbing a hand on her sore butt, “don’t you worry though; I just need to stay in step with Yō a bit more, thats all!”

 

“Are you sure, Mari? You’ve been spacing out during the choreo, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself anymore.” While Mari was more than willing to go ahead with practice, something in Dia’s concern was telling her to accept her childhood friend’s suggestion.

 

“I-I think I’ll be fine after a break! Y-Yeah, just a bit of water and I’ll be right back to tip top shape!”  


“Fine. 10 minutes for water, everyone! Then we're right back to choreo practice; no slacking.”

 

Getting up off the floor, Mari walked over to the section of the roof where all their bags were located, stopped by a hand tugging at her arm. Turning around, Mari was confronted by an exasperated Dia, who had Yō secured with her other hand. “Now, I have to ask since it’s been more than prevalent for the past few practices,” Dia began, hoping to get down to the root of the issue, “has there been any animosity between the two of you? I’m not blaming either of you for any slip-ups; I just wanted to know if there was anything that could be settled with a bit of face-to-face.”

 

“I-I don’t think theres any bad blood between us, isn’t that right, Mari?” You asked with a concerned look in her eyes, “if there was anything I have done, though, please say so!” _How was she this adorable? If anything, the only thing that Yō’s done to blight Mari is distract her with her infectiously cute attitude._

 

“Of course not, dearest Yō! I don’t think there’s anything wrong; I-I just need a bit of air. Out here. On the roof. Y-Yeah.” _Smooth, Chairwoman._

 

“Well, alright then; I had my suspicions, but if there isn’t any conflict then I guess I won’t anything against the two of you.” Dia sighed as she walked over to her bag, picking up her water bottle to give herself a drink. _Those two have tension that could hold up a bridge all on it’s own..._ But of course, as with anything concerning the facets of love; they were none the wiser to each other's pining, much to the dismay of the rest of Aqours. Catching glances at one another, slipping up when working together; it was an epidemic of butterflies with no real cure in sight. Taking her well deserved drink of water, Dia scanned her surroundings to check for anything unordinary. Chika was waving Yō as she made her way downstairs to use the washroom. Yoshiko, Riko and Ruby were grouped together, discussing something with words unbeknownst to her. Kanan was handling Hanamaru’s bottle to her, while Mari took a drink from Yō’s--

 

**Wait a second.**

 

Walking at a brisk pace full of purpose, Dia tugged Mari’s wrist, pulling her over away from the ears of her group mates.

 

“Mari Ohara, **what are you doing with that water bottle**?”

 

Stopping herself mid-drink, Mari turned to Dia, a shocked look plastered on her face, “Huh? I was just grabbing a drink, is something the matter?”

 

“Yes, _something is the matter_ ,” Dia scowled back as she snatched the water bottle out of Mari’s hands, “this isn’t the usual Giorgio Armani water bottle I see you with; and I **definitely** do not think your name is Yō Watanabe!”

 

And sure enough, labelled on a hastily applied piece of duct tape was her crushes name, written in plain view. Mari froze in abhorrent shock; she never meant to take You’s bottle, but she figured that her mind must have had all three of her brain cells set to “Yō Watanabe” at the moment. “ _Big oopsies!~_ I guess you worked us a bit too hard Dia, I can’t even think straight anymore!” Mari quickly answered back, “that was just an accident, you see! A-C-C--”

 

“Yes Mari, I know how to spell, you can stop with the theatrics,” Dia said as her eyes glared at an increasingly embarrassed Mari, “just an accident, you say? All these incidents that happen around Yō, are just, you would say, pure coincidence?”

 

“Why yes! There’s nothing up between me and Yō; I think you’re just getting a bit exhausted too, Dia,” Mari explained as she tried to brush aside any notion of friction between her and Yō.

 

“Mari. Is everything OK with you and Yō? I know you said everything’s fine, but I don’t sense that you're being all that genuine.”

 

“But of course Dia! Everything is _A-O-Good_!” Mari exclaimed, giving a signature OK symbol with her hands, trying to wriggle her Italian ass out of this situation.

 

“O-K. It's A-Ok, Mari.”  


“Alright then, I’ll be speaking to you later then Dia!”

 

“Wait, no, Mari that isn’t what I-- _sigh._ ”

* * *

 

“R-Riko, wait up!”

 

“A-Ah, Yō! Isn’t your bus coming soon? Don’t leave Yoshiko waiting.”  


“No, I told her I’d be late already, it’s alright.”

 

Riko frowned as she looked at the sorry state Yō was in; hair disheveled, eyes darting back and forth; it just wasn’t a look that had the cheeriness and the smile she was used to. “Is there something the matter, Yō? You seem… off.”

 

“Y-Yeah.” While Yō tried her best to be a bit more closed off with her feelings, there was no doubt that her body language was giving everything away. “I need, um, _girl help_ …” Yō sheepishly asked, “I really like a girl, and--”

 

“Mari?”

“H-How did you know???”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know,” Riko began, the sarcasm beginning to seep from her voice, “just the fact that you can’t function correctly around Mari, a girl that you have, on record, stated as ‘the most beautiful and lovely girl you’ve ever met’? _I couldn’t have guessed._ ”

 

“Oh… that obvious, huh…” Yō let out a calm sigh, finding a bit of solace knowing that she had someone she could confide in. “I really do like her but, I just can't go any further than this puppy crush, there’s just not a situation in my mind where I could ever confess to her,” Yō explained, “and I didn’t know who to ask, ‘cause I’m not too good with this love thing and all.”

 

“Is it nervousness or doubt, Yō?”

“Nervousness… Yeah, I think it’s that; there’s no doubt in my mind that I like her.”

 

Riko tapped her chin as she considered what Yō could attempt to win Mari’s heart. After a moment of deliberation, Riko’s eyes flashed with inspiration. “Why not ask her in a place you feel more comfortable, Yō?” Riko explained, “give yourself as much of an advantage as you can, y’know; from how you’re acting right now, you might need it.”

 

“A-ah… yeah, that makes sense.” Riko saw the concentration in Yō’s eyes as she went over the options she had available to her. “The beach. I-I think I’ll confess to her at the beach,” You began, the nervousness in her voice seeping through, “I like the sound of the ocean, and it’ll look nice in the evening, at least…”  


_Well, a start is a start._ Riko’s hand found purchase on Yō’s shoulder as she gave her a reaffirming shake. “ You’re going to do great,” Riko promised as she gave Yō a warming smile, “as long as you get her with that _Full Speed Ahead!_ mentality, I don’t see how it could go wrong.” Riko gave Yō a salute with her other hand, watching as the other girl repeated the action back to her.

 

“Yōsoro!”

* * *

 

“Ughhh, this won’t do!”

 

Mari looked down at the paper in front of her, looking frustratedly at the scrawlings that filled the pages. Cheesy pickup lines, swirly, overdone cursive; this was all the doing of a girl who was desperately in love. Was she proud of what she was doing right now? No. But she couldn’t really help it; there was just something about Yō that rendered her speechless. Mari, the eccentric blabbermouth, taken down to the level of an embarrassed little girl, hoping to slip a confession note in her crush’s locker. But even so, whatever she wrote just wasn’t _right_. No amount of “I love you’s” and ink blots would be enough to convey the amount of love that welled in Mari’s chest when she saw Yō smile. Crumpling and throwing yet another unsuccessful note to the floor, Mari had finally decided that some sort of third-party intervention was needed.

 

_Who to ask… who to ask… Ah!_

* * *

Mari - Diaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

Dia - What? Do you need something Mari?

 

Mari - can u help a dummy out

 

Dia - …

 

Dia - What’s in it for me?

 

Mari - name it u know i can just buy u w/e

 

Dia -  Add to the student council’s budget this semester and you’ve got yourself a deal.

 

Mari - :ok_hand:

 

Dia - So, what’s ailing you?

 

Mari - so ummmmm, you could say that you were right earlier about me and you

 

DIa - Did something happen? Did you two fight?

 

Mari - if falling in love with Yō is something happening, then ya, something big happened

 

Dia - The cat’s finally out of the bag, huh? Took you long enough. So how long have you two been together?

 

Mari - : )))))) we arent together,,,,,

 

Dia - My apologies. Is there any reason for that? 

* * *

The time between Dia’s last text and Mari’s response was, harrowing, to say the least. Dia laid on her bed with her phone held in her hands, waiting in anticipation for what Mari had to say.

* * *

 

Mari - in all honesty, I dont have the heart to tell my dashing, handsome junior, that this disaster wants to date her. She deserves a lot more than a person who cant even confront her in person

 

Dia - I think you’d do just fine in all honesty; you have a natural way with words.

 

Mari- but dia!!! What if she doesn’t take me seriously?

* * *

 

_*Ring ring ring*_

 

Mari’s desperation-fueled focus was broken as her phone began to vibrate sporadically in her hands. _Dia is calling…_ Swiping to accept the call, Mari held the phone to her ear. “D-Dia, is there something wrong? We were just texting and all--”

 

“No, but I just wanted to get my words across to you more clearly,” Dia sternly responded from the other end, “because it seems that from what I can gather, you’re an absolute mess at the moment.”

 

“Yeah… that’s about right.” Mari got up off of her desk, making her way to her bed to lie down with a sad _flop_. “Dia, I don't know what to do, and I’m afraid if I don’t do something soon, that I’ll lose my chance to tell her.” Mari heard an audible sigh from the receiver as Dia readied herself to speak.

 

“If you’re worried about it being your last chance, then I say just suck it up and do it; just stare her dead in the eyes and tell her how you feel,” Dia began, in the calmest voice she could muster, “Yō’s a down to earth and truthful girl, so I’m more than sure she’ll appreciate the honesty, if anything.”

 

Mari stared up at the ceiling as Dia’s words rang in her mind. _There really was no beating around the bush at this point, huh?_ It was almost fairytale-like to believe that a dinky note in Yō’s locker would actually do anything. Knowing her latent popularity with the student body, Mari was sure that those abs had given many a innocent first year their lesbian awakening. No, Dia was right. She needed to cut her loses and just go through with it.

 

“You’re right. I can’t just sit back and think she’ll come to me so easily,” Mari announced, a newfound sense of inspiration coursing through her, “I’m gonna go right up to Yō and--”

 

_*buzz buzz buzz*_

 

_Another caller? Wow, seems like I’m the one that's getting around tonight, wonder who it is..._

 

Yō - Could I meet you at the beach near your hotel tomorrow @10? There’s something important I have to ask you.

 

_Oh no._

* * *

 

To say that Yō was nervous? The understatement of the century. Running her hands over non-existent creases on her button-up, Yō tried her hardest to distract herself in any way, nervousness threatening to make her sick at any moment. Yō checked her phone, wishing and praying that the seconds could just fast-forward so that this could all be said and done for. _9:58._ Two minutes was almost too much for Yō; her heart threatening to beat out of her chest out of pure fear. _What if she rejects me? That would make sense for a girl that beautiful, huh…_

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yō…”

 

 _I have been cursed today, for Sappho has made me a lesbian…_ Yō did her best to hide a gasp as she saw Mari striding towards her, the pearl white sundress she had on doing no wonders for her already weak heart. But besides those few words that Mari made herself known with, the air was silent with latent anticipation. Even as they stood face to face, the gaze that the two shared was… awkward, to say the least. After what seemed like an eternity that lasted only a few seconds, Yō finally piped up, “I’m sorry that I called you here so suddenly Mari, but, I have something really important that I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

 

Taking Mari’s hands with her own, Yō stared deep into Mari’s eyes, finally letting those buried feelings spill from her overflowing heart. “Mari, I… I really like you,” Yō began, the voice in the back of her head telling her just how bad of an idea this was, “you’re absolutely stunning, and I couldn’t think of someone more beautiful that has a heart of gold like you.” As soon as the words escaped her mouth, You could already feel pangs of regret welling inside of her, _Mari wouldn’t say yes to a half-assed confession like this…_ “It’s alright if the feeling isn’t mutual, someone as pretty as you probably has a lot of people telling you this...”

 

You’s heart sank as her response seemed to fall on deaf ears, garnering no response from Mari. The tides that crashed in the distance were almost mocking Yō, the loud noises painting contrast to the other girl’s silence.

 

“Stupid Yō… you really don’t get it, do you?” Mari’s voice wavered as she finally spoke up, the tears she held back finally starting to fall from the edges of her eyes. “It’s me that doesn’t deserve your love.”

 

“You’re stunning, talented, passionate, and absolutely, positively the most happiest someone has made me. The way you light up the room with your smile, your neverending support; I could go on about the things I love about you.”

 

“Wh--”

 

“It should have been me that confessed to someone who deserves the world, “Mari continues, hands shaking as she did her best to power through a confession of her own, “and for someone who’s so talented and breathtaking, you deserve something better than just plain old Mari…”

 

Mari suddenly feels herself being pulled into a tight hug; able to do nothing else but stare into the vast ocean. Yō squeezes her a bit tighter, and Mari can already start to feel her resolve breaking, tears falling as all those worries she had seemed to leave with the receding tide.

 

“I wouldn’t pour my heart out for you if I didn’t love everything about you, Mari.”

 

The hug, which Mari once thought was out of pity, fills her with an overwhelming sense of warmth. This wasn’t going to be the last time Yō would hold her like this. She was sure of it. Mari finally returns the hold, holding Yō tight as the tears finally begin to flow. After a few minutes Yō finally lets go, seeing Mari with her face stained with tears, but smiling nonetheless. She feels Mari move her hands to caress her, coming forward to place a light kiss on her lips.

 

“I love you too, Yō.”

 

 _Did she just. Was that? Oh my God._ Yō stared dumbfounded at an ever reddening Mari, barely being able to comprehend what had just occurred. Feeling the warmth leave her lips, Yō sat in stunned silence, before finally managing to speak.

 

“So um… are we dating then?”

 

Mari laughs. It’s expected; after a display of love that great, Mari was more than certain that she got her point across. She kisses Yō again; albeit this time is a lot more forceful and passionate. She feels Yō’s lips push back this time as well; her kisses sloppy from inexperience but longing nonetheless. _If this is the game we’re playing, I guess two can play at this~_  Yō’s eyes widen as she feels Mari grab the back of her shirt, pressing their bodies together as Mari deepens the kiss as far as she sees fit. Mari wishes that this kiss could last forever; that she would be able to feel Yō’s soft lips in all their glory. But she knew that while her mind wanted this, her and Yō’s bodies would say otherwise.

 

And as soon as the kiss happens, it leaves yet again, leaving the two gasping and panting for air. You, out of exhaustion and stress takes a seat on the sand below her, stretching an arm out to let Mari sit beside her. Mari accepts, and gladly takes Yō’s hand, not letting go even after she’s helped down. The two sit in silence, watching the ebb and flow of the water in front of them, taking their time to take everything in. After a while, Mari intertwines their fingers; a perfect fit. She looks over to see Yō smiling right back, the tint of her lipstick still left on Yō’s natural lips.

 

“First time kissing?”  
“Y-Yeah…”  
“Wow, you’re a natural then. C’mere and let’s practice then, amore mio~”


End file.
